Video: People discover just how “affordable” the Affordable Care Act is

Ed MorrisseyPosted at 8:31 pm on January 30, 2014

What happens when employees at a small business find out the costs of their new insurance options under ObamaCare? WTAE in Pittsburgh dropped in on Simonetta’s Collision and Car Care in McKeesport, where the new pricing and deductibles are being rolled out as their cameras record the reaction. Without exception, everyone ends up enduring the bitter irony in the name of the Affordable Care Act (via Daniel Halper at TWS):

For the first time, employees were finding out how the Affordable Care Act will affect their medical coverage and how much they’ll pay for it.

Last year’s 6 percent premium increase has now exploded to an average 32 percent jump.

“That 32 percent increase includes increasing the deductible, as well to try and get something modestly priced,” Moore explained.

Jeff and Dave used to have a $1,250 deductible. Since Obamacare went into effect, it’s now jumped 60 percent to $2,000.

That’s nothing compared with Brian, Christy and Judy who have kids. They’ll pay twice that at $4,000.

And that’s before the mandate hits small and medium-sized businesses. When that happens in the fall, many of these firms dealing with the price hikes in group insurance will have spent all year rethinking their compensation packages. If they start dumping these employees into the individual marketplace — and HHS predicted that might happen to as many as 93 million Americans — they will have the midterm elections within weeks to register the outrage and disgust so evident in this reaction here.